Mother to brave freezing temperatures on Arctic husky trail

An adventurous mother from Worthing, who had a double organ transplant less than a decade ago, will spend almost a week camping in minus 20 degree temperatures on a husky trail in the Arctic Circle.

Danie Bax, a cardiac specialist nurse at East Surrey hospital who lives in West Street, is raising money for the NSPCC, who have organised the trip.

In 2009, the 52-year-old had a kidney and pancreas transplant, after her diabetes led her to catch several infections.

She said: “I had been so ill – I couldn’t drive or do anything. I was constantly in hospital.

“I had no quality of life.”

Since recovering from the operation, she said: “Every year I do something different, to mark that I’m still alive and to live life to the full.”

Previous activities have led her to explore Vietnam and go hiking in Nepal, as well as get ‘really good’ at white water kayaking closer to home in Adur.

This year, on March 17, she sets off to Norway alone for what she describes as a ‘hardcore’ six night trip to Sweden.

The 250km journey will be ‘physically tiring’ as she learns to steer a sledge pulled by dogs and helps push it uphill – but she said the ‘biggest challenge’ will be sleeping in a tent outside, as she said: “I’m not keen on the cold!”